The 2024 bear management cooperator patch is a great way to commemorate the recent bear season. Adult hunters, patch collectors and others can buy a patch for $7. Young hunters, 10-17 years old, who have a valid bear hunting license can get a free patch.

The Michigan Bear Hunters Association, in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, coordinates Michigan’s bear cooperator patch program. Proceeds from patch sales will be used for black bear education and outreach.

You can order patches online or by sending your name, complete address, and a check or money order payable to the Michigan Bear Hunters Association. If the patch is for a youth bear hunter, please send a legible copy of a youth’s valid bear hunting license. Mailed patch orders should be sent to:

MBHA – Bear Patch Program
10510 Fairgrieve Road
Johannesburg, MI 49751

Young artists can enter 2025 patch design contest

The Michigan Bear Hunters Associations holds a design contest annually to create the bear patch. K-12 students attending public, private or home school in Michigan are eligible to enter. To learn more about the patch design contest, visit the bear management cooperator patch webpage. The contest entry deadline is Dec. 31.

The elm zigzag sawfly, Aproceros leucopoda, recently has been detected in several midwestern states. The sawfly is from eastern Asia and is not considered a threat in its native habitat, but here it can cause severe damage. Feeding exclusively on most native and introduced elm species, the elm zigzag sawfly is a defoliator that causes damage to the leaves of the trees. Look for zig-zag chewing patterns in elm leaves and report any suspected elm zigzag sawfly infestations to the Midwest Invasive Species Network.

More information on the elm zigzag sawfly.

Each year, sportsmen, bird watchers, and other wildlife enthusiasts can join the Wildlife Department in documenting federally endangered whooping cranes as they migrate through Oklahoma. It is important for sandhill crane hunters to be aware that whooping cranes could migrate through Oklahoma and be roosting or loafing in hunting areas at any time throughout the entire season.

The 2,500-mile journey from nesting grounds in Canada to wintering grounds in coastal Texas can take nearly two months, with the first migrating family groups of cranes reaching Oklahoma in mid- to late-October. The birds may touch down in wetlands or grain fields for a few days to rest and refuel on crustaceans, other small animals, or grain before continuing on to Texas.

The small flocks of whooping cranes that migrate through Oklahoma are part of the only remaining naturally occurring population, known as the Aransas/Wood Buffalo population. Read more

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation strongly opposes a reckless ballot initiative that undermines scientific wildlife management, hampers the ability of Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) to balance predator and prey species, and endangers public safety.

Proposition 127 will appear on Colorado’s November ballot and seeks to ban all hunting of mountain lions, bobcats and lynx, even though it is already illegal to hunt lynx in the Lower 48.

So far, RMEF supplied more than $340,000 to defeat the measure while collaborating with Colorado partners.

“We’ve seen this before in Colorado. Activists use deceptive language and emotion to purposely circumvent the recommendations of professional wildlife managers and biologists in favor of their own agendas,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer. “This ballot box biology flies in the face of proven, science-based wildlife management as well as key principles of the North American Wildlife Conservation Model, which is the bedrock for maintaining successful wildlife populations in Colorado and across America.”

Important points: Read more

USDA grants support climate-smart agriculture practices on working lands

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced major investments in delivering voluntary and incentive-based conservation practices, including an estimated $95 million for projects involving Ducks Unlimited (DU), which will be used to impact nearly 55,000 acres of agricultural working lands, improving wildlife habitat and water quality.

The grants are awarded under the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), which incentivizes a voluntary, partnership-driven approach to conservation on working agricultural lands. DU is the lead partner for projects totaling about $32 million in California’s Central Valley and Illinois.

“DU learned long ago that partnership-driven, incentive-based conservation practices can benefit producers, wildlife and our environment in equal measure,” said DU CEO Adam Putnam. “The grants funded through RCPP will support farmers and ranchers by making their operations more sustainable while improving habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife. We’re thrilled to see such a strong investment in working lands conservation.”

The funding is part of a $1.5 billion investment by USDA in voluntary conservation practices on agricultural landscapes, which support habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife, offer additional revenue streams for farmers and ranchers, and provide a host of ecosystem services. Read more

Arizona’s original “snowbirds” now arriving daily

Sandhill cranes by the thousands are once again returning to their wintering grounds at the Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area in southeastern Arizona.

For the next several months, more than 20,000 of these fascinating birds, along with waterfowl and other wetland-associated species, will provide an unparalleled wildlife-viewing experience.

“In my opinion, there just isn’t a better wildlife-viewing opportunity in Arizona” said Jeff Meyers, wildlife viewing program manager for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “Nothing beats seeing these large, noisy birds in person. The cacophony of sound that they make is thrilling.” Read more